


Much Ado About Lt. Sephiroth

by Gothams_Only_Wolf



Series: Under The Wing of A Nibel Dragon [1]
Category: Compilation of Final Fantasy VII, Crisis Core: Final Fantasy VII, Final Fantasy VII
Genre: Character Study, Creepy Hojo (Compilation FFVII), Developing Friendships, Fix-It of Sorts, Gen, Hojo is a Grade-A Bastard, Hojo is six feet under, Implied/Referenced Child Abuse, Injury Recovery, Kid Fic, Mama Strife is a BAMF, Needles, you can thank Mama Strife for that
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-05-08
Updated: 2017-05-08
Packaged: 2018-10-29 10:33:58
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,623
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10852194
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Gothams_Only_Wolf/pseuds/Gothams_Only_Wolf
Summary: In which ShinRa's most powerful SOLDIER goes in search of a cookie and finds much more.





	Much Ado About Lt. Sephiroth

**Author's Note:**

  * For [RainofLittleFishes](https://archiveofourown.org/users/RainofLittleFishes/gifts).
  * Inspired by [In Which Mrs. Strife, Newly Widowed, Fixes What She Can](https://archiveofourown.org/works/1856892) by [RainofLittleFishes](https://archiveofourown.org/users/RainofLittleFishes/pseuds/RainofLittleFishes). 



> This is a result of reading a delightful fic by RainofLittleFishes~ I literally chased my Sephiroth Muse because he was sprinting ahead without much warning. There may be more of this? 
> 
> Enjoy~

* * *

The day began as it always did in ShinRa’s kitchen, at 0430 sharp, Anika Strife directing her staff with the swiftness and assurity of a General commanding armies. 

Breakfast was served at 0730, each container wafting delicious scents to tempt Cadets, troopers and SOLDIERs and other employees of ShinRa alike to eat. After the breakfast rush was over, it was time for lunch prep. 

It was, of course, delayed when Anika Strife was approached by several SOLDIERs, three separate Science division heads and the director of the Turks himself. 

Lt. Sephiroth—ShinRa’s most powerful SOLDIER—had gone missing at exactly 0600 and hadn’t been seen since.

* * *

Sephiroth wandered the empty halls of Floor 38, the secretarial pool still at breakfast as a majority of the ShinRa staff happened to be. He held Masamune to his chest as though it were a toy, something Professor Hojo had hated. Now… Now he was free to do as he liked—even if it meant being by himself, just for a little while. 

He jumped up as he heard boots on carpet, the rasp of thick rubber against the fabric easily discernible as trooper-issued gear, landing easily on the rafters of the vaulted ceiling. 

“Mrs. Strife’s so nice…” one of the helmeted troopers sighed. 

“She smelled like home when I had KP duty. I got a cookie once,” the other agreed. “Best damn cookie I’ve ever eaten in my life.” 

“No fair man. I’ve been waiting for one of those.” The first grumbled. 

“Hey, maybe of we find the Lt. before everyone else does, d'you think she’ll bake us a batch?” The second suggested. 

A cookie. 

Another thing Hojo had denied him, stating that it would disrupt Sephiroth’s body chemistry. 

No menial chores, no sugar, no foods that weren’t already pre-approved… There were many things that Hojo had not approved of in Sephiroth’s life. 

Perhaps he would ask Mrs. Strife. The SOLDIERs whispered amongst themselves that she had been Hojo’s demise, that Hojo had been found near her offspring and hadn’t lived long enough to 'disappear' the child as he had several employees over the years. 

Sephiroth landed quietly and allowed his nose to lead him to the empty cafeteria. Well, mostly empty. There was a small child carefully sorting through… Apples? 

He paused at the door, unsure of the protocol for speaking with people below his age. Masamune’s sheath creaked as he hugged the sword to himself.

Sephiroth quietly inhaled and said, “Hello. My name is Sephiroth.” 

“My name’s Cloud. Is that a sword?” The bright blue eyes and blond hair were a surprise. 

“She’s not just a sword.” He blurted, flushing at the way he spoke. He was supposed to think about his words, control them, measure-No. Hojo wasn’t there anymore. He could, maybe, talk the way that Hojo hated. The accent that Hojo had tried very hard to eliminate. “This… This is Masamune. She’s my best friend.” 

Cloud wrinkled his nose at that. “Can she talk?” 

“… No, but she listens real nice.” Sephiroth admitted. “What are you doing?” 

“Mama asked me to sort th’ mushy ones from th’ hard ones. We’re gonna make applesauce,” he replied easily. “Wanna help?” 

“… Alright.” He gently set down Masamune and softly picked up an apple, testing the firmness with his fingertips. 

It was firm so he set in the pile Cloud did, legs sprawled out inappropriately as he sorted through them quietly. 

“Why’re you wearin’ gloves?” Cloud asked after a few minutes passed in silence. 

“It’s part of my uniform. I’m a SOLDIER Third Class.” Sephiroth answered as he poked at an apple and it squished under a fraction of his strength. “Eww.” 

“Yup. Inta th’ bad pile. Mama c'n sort it from there.” Cloud agreed. “Are ya on KP?”

“No. It’s… quiet here.” He sighed. “I was supposed to oversee training of my fellow Thirds.” 

“Oversee?” Cloud’s nose scrunched at the unfamiliar term. 

“I watch them and fix mistakes,” Sephiroth muttered. “It’s boring and they make a lot of mistakes.” 

“What’s a mistake?” 

“When you do something wrong and you can fix it.” Sephiroth explained. 

“So… If they mess up and you fix it, don’t they get better?” Cloud hummed as he continued to sort the apples.

Sephiroth paused in holding an apple, the firmness pronouncing it a good one. He set it down before it shattered in his palm. “My… fixes are not wanted. I do them twice. Once to practice, once to master.” 

“That’s not right,” Cloud frowned as he finished the pile of apples. “Mama says that you gotta mess up before you get it right sometimes.” 

“I was not allowed-” he admitted as Cloud started on onions. “I was not allowed to mess up.” Cloud paused as Sephiroth pulled off his glove, the still - healing needle marks red and puffy. “Not even once.” 

“Oh.” Cloud took his naked hand and looked up as he touched the other. “Do you have more?” 

“…Yes.” 

“Mama’s pretty green light can take care of those. Wanna go see her?” 

“Green light? You mean a Cure.” Sephiroth shook his head, his hair spilling over his shoulder as he did so. 

“Yeah, that.” 

“We should finish here first. They can be fixed later.” He protested. 

Sephiroth wanted to stay with Cloud a little longer. 

Cloud’s brow scrunched as he thought about it. “Okay, but we see Mama right after.” 

“Of course, Cloud.”

* * *

When Cloud fell asleep, Sephiroth kept working, glancing down as Cloud cuddled up to his thigh. He found his eyelids growing heavy and he curled around Cloud as much as he could. 

As his eyes closed, he thought he heard a soft voice. 

“Cloud, honey? Did you… Oh. Looks like my Storm Cloud found the Lt. then. Let them sleep.”

* * *

Anika Strife took in the sight of Lt. Sephiroth being protective of her son and smiled as he shuffled so that Cloud would be comfortable. 

The Director of the Turks glanced down at them and his lips pressed thin. 

“Director Veld?” she pressed as the lunch rush went on without them. 

Her staff were well-trained and fully qualified to do it by themselves.

“Lt. Sephiroth is ShinRa’s best and brightest. No one ever considers that an eleven-year-old boy needs company.” Veld murmured softly, motioning to the silver-haired Lt.’s hand.

Needle marks. 

Anika snarled wordlessly. 

Veld chuckled. “You saw to the man who made them, Mrs. Strife. I wouldn’t worry too much about Lt. Sephiroth.” 

“I want him.” She murmured quietly. 

“… Lt. Sephiroth?” Veld rose a brow and Anika huffed. “He’s technically ShinRa property.” 

“I didn’t stutter,” Anika straightened her food-spattered apron. “That boy needs someone and he’s got no one. I want that child to have someone. I’m here.” 

“Well then. One SOLDIER coming right up.”

* * *

Sephiroth jerked as he sat up, the new scents and sounds making him wary. He looked for Masamune first, finding her propped up next to standard ShinRa housing. A soft snuffle drew Sephiroth’s attention. 

It came back to him slowly. Escaping the labs again, finding Cloud in the kitchen… So what was he doing here? 

He slid off of the bed and froze as an adult stood in the doorway. 

“Are you thirsty?” The soft voice from before. “I’m Cloud’s Mama but you can call me Mrs. Strife, if you’d like. I made dinner but you two were havin’ a nice sleep.” 

“Mama?” The rest of what Cloud said was like nothing Sephiroth had ever heard and Mrs. Strife answered the same way. A language he didn’t know. Perhaps today would hold more surprises yet. “Mama have you seen his hands?” 

“No, I haven’t yet. May I come in, Lt.?” She asked. 

“I should think so,” he answered as he reached for his boots. “I will return to where I need to be, Mrs. Strife. Thank you for your attendance of myself and Cloud.” 

“Where are ya goin’? Mama still needs ta see your hands.” Cloud tugged at his bare arm, the small weight almost nothing.

“… Right.” He sat back down on the bed and slowly peeled off his gloves. The marks were considerably more closed but still hurt. Hojo liked them that way—it burned when he put Sephiroth through tests after failure.

The Cure was equipped to a small bronze bracer and cast, sealing the wounds on his hands, back and thighs. He groaned softly in relief.

“I take it there were more than just your hands.” Mrs. Strife shrewdly guessed. 

“Professor Hojo is— _was_ —very thorough. He did not like failure.” Sephiroth hugged Masamune to his chest, the solid metal a reassuring weight in his hands. “As I told Cloud, I take two tries at everything. Once to practice, once to master.” 

“Well, as of today, you’re my ward.” She countered lightly even as her arm wrapped around Cloud.

“How?” Hojo was dead, Hollander had suddenly resigned and now this? Who was she to change the way ShinRa worked? 

“Director Veld and I had a chat. For now, you can stay with Storm Cloud and I instead of the space in the labs. How about that dinner?” Mrs. Strife hummed. 

“That sounds wonderful, Mrs. Strife,” Sephiroth tried to sound as grown up as he could, only for Cloud to tug him along with a giggle to the tiny brown table creaking under the weight of home-cooked food. 

“Eat up boys,” she ordered briskly. She cut up Cloud’s food into bite-sized chunks before turning to her own plate. “Is something wrong, Lt.?” 

“No, ma'am. I… I like Sephiroth when I’m not…” 

“Of course. Sephiroth, you let me know if there’s anything you need, okay?” 

“Yes ma'am.” The warmth that bloomed as she watched him and Cloud eat was unfamiliar to Sephiroth but he wanted to feel it again.

**Author's Note:**

> Comment, complain, ect.


End file.
